Only 34% of senior executives (CEOs and CFOs) agree with their CMO about how marketing supports growth.
Just 22% of senior executives say their CMO has significantly clarified marketing accountabilities.
Those are staggering numbers from a Gartner report published in January 2025 called “How CMOs Overcome the C-Suite Expectations Gap.”
Yet, they’re not entirely surprising if you follow research about the CMO role.
“Some of these are evergreen challenges for CMOs,” said Chris Ross, vice president and analyst at Gartner, who co-authored the report.
“Expectations of CMOs are higher,” said co-author Sharon Cantor Ceurvorst, vice president, research at Gartner. “CEOs and CFOs expect them to take more responsibility.”
You heard right. More responsibility.
It’s not enough that there are more channels than ever, more ways to reach customers, more levers to pull, more applications to manage and more data to analyze.
Here’s an example of more responsibility. More than two-thirds of the CMOs in Gartner’s research are accountable for retaining existing customers, not just acquiring new ones. But do they have the tools and team to do that? Gartner found only 36% have ultimate accountability for the customer experience.
Here’s another depressing number from Gartner’s report: 57% of CMOs fell short of at least one of their growth objectives in the most recently completed fiscal year. That’s not going to endear them to their leadership colleagues.
Do CMOs struggle with business acumen?
There’s a problem here that seems to run deeper than the actual marketing strategy and tactics.
According to the Gartner report, a lack of alignment on growth initiatives, which are CEOs’ top priorities, often sparks skepticism about the relevance and value of marketing investments.
On a more personal level, Gartner found that CMOs who aren’t viewed as effective collaborators struggle to gain support from other senior executives and functional leaders, damaging their reputation.
And finally, CMOs who struggle to communicate the value and impact of marketing are making it more difficult to secure budget and resources.
Mark Stouse, CEO of Proof Analytics and a MarTech contributor, interviewed hundreds of Fortune 2000 CEOs and CFOs about go-to-market (GTM) strategies for a book he’s writing.
“What I heard was, ‘I don’t have any understanding at all that is reliable about how all of the piece parts work and move together, how they synergize or what keeps them from synergizing. How much money am I actually getting for the money I invest?’” said Stouse.
Stouse said that if GTM strategies (which cover sales and marketing) are an investment, a whole set of assumptions is attached to them. Senior executives will want to understand the S-curve, which identifies the point of diminishing returns (at the top of the curve) and the gap between the current spending and the performance if spending increases.
But if it’s an expense instead of an investment, then a department like marketing will be seen as a service-delivery organization. In that case, Stouse said, senior executives will not expect value and will simply try to get the services as inexpensively as possible.
So which is it?
“No one can give them the answers to those questions,” Stouse said. “And so they tend to write it off or ascribe it to a fundamental lack of business acumen, among marketers and salespeople in particular.”
Dig deeper: What do C-level execs think of their GTM strategies? A conversation with Mark Stouse
What CMOs need to do now
According to Gartner’s Ross and Ceurvorst, CMOs must elevate their leadership profile and take on a more prominent role. They need to be cross-functional and seen as innovators.
Yes, the best CMOs have a deep understanding of their customers, but they also have the real-life experience to build relationships and understand how the needs of the CFO, for example, differ from those of the CEO and the sales leader.
“Really good CMOs are really good at contextualizing marketing in terms of the business,” Ross said. “They can apply a marketing orientation to enterprise thinking.”
That means good CMOs need to understand enterprise thinking, such as how marketing can make an impact, then relay that information to their team and have their team send results back up the chain of command.
Behind every good CMO is an all-star team
If you’re an aspiring CMO, hopefully you’re taking notes.
Whether you aspire to the role or not, this is where you, as a marketer, come in.
Ross said there are two things, in particular, CMOs need from their teams: First, they need other people to step up and take care of the operational work. And second, they need (what else?) data and insights.
“CMOs are going to rely on marketing operations and insights and analytics leaders,” Ross said.
And we all know you have the data.
“Most marketers are swimming in data,” Ross said.” Data doesn’t make decisions. It informs decisions. At the end of the day, data has never been perfect.”
And that’s why those who might be best positioned to help the CMO are those working with the data. According to Ceurvorst, CMOs need to trust the people working in data, not just their math. CMOs need to trust their reasoning skills.
Marketing leaders can’t simply present numbers. They need to present conclusions — the correct conclusions to the right people. They need to get the what, why, when and how right.
Marketers with practical data and reasoning skills can do that. Those skills make you and your CMO look good in today’s world. And they can help put you on stage if that’s where you want to be.
After all, as Ross said, “The highest functioning CMOs have rock stars working for them.”
The post This is what your CMO is facing. How can you help? appeared first on MarTech.
**Understanding Your CMO’s Challenges — and How You Can Support Them**
In today’s fast-paced and digitally driven business environment, the role of the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) has evolved dramatically. No longer confined to branding and advertising, CMOs are now expected to drive growth, lead digital transformation, and deliver measurable ROI — all while navigating shifting consumer behaviors, emerging technologies, and increasing pressure from stakeholders. Understanding your CMO’s challenges is the first step toward building a more collaborative, effective, and successful marketing organization. Here’s a closer look at what CMOs face today and how you can support them.
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### The Evolving Role of the CMO
Traditionally, CMOs were seen as the creative force behind a company’s image. Today, they are strategic leaders responsible for:
– Driving revenue growth
– Managing customer experience across all touchpoints
– Leveraging data and analytics for decision-making
– Leading digital transformation initiatives
– Aligning marketing with sales and product teams
– Building and protecting brand reputation
This expanded scope means CMOs must balance creativity with analytical rigor, long-term brand building with short-term performance marketing, and internal collaboration with external customer engagement.
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### Key Challenges Facing Today’s CMOs
1. **Proving Marketing ROI**
CMOs are under constant pressure to demonstrate the value of marketing investments. With tight budgets and high expectations, they must show how campaigns contribute to lead generation, customer acquisition, retention, and ultimately, revenue.
2. **Data Overload and Integration**
With data pouring in from multiple sources — CRM systems, social media, web analytics, and more — CMOs face the challenge of integrating and interpreting this data to make informed decisions.
3. **Keeping Up with Technology**
The martech landscape is vast and constantly evolving. CMOs must assess, implement, and manage tools that enhance efficiency and effectiveness, all while ensuring they integrate seamlessly with existing systems.
4. **Customer Expectations and Personalization**
Modern consumers expect personalized, seamless experiences across all channels. CMOs must lead efforts to understand customer journeys and deliver relevant content at the right time.
5. **Cross-Functional Alignment**
Marketing doesn’t operate in a vacuum. CMOs must work closely with sales, product, IT, and customer service teams to ensure alignment and consistency in messaging and strategy.
6. **Talent Acquisition and Retention**
Finding and keeping top marketing talent — especially those skilled in data analytics, content creation, and digital strategy — is a growing concern for CMOs.
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### How You Can Support Your CMO
Whether you’re a fellow executive, a team member, or a cross-functional partner, there are several ways you can support your CMO and contribute to marketing success:
1. **Foster a Culture of Collaboration**
Encourage open communication and shared goals between marketing and other departments. Collaboration between sales, product, and marketing ensures consistent messaging and a unified customer experience.
2. **Champion Data Accessibility**
Help break down data silos by advocating for integrated systems and shared dashboards. When marketing has access to clean, actionable data, it can make better decisions and demonstrate impact more effectively.
3. **Support Investment in Technology**
Understand that marketing technology is not just a cost — it’s a strategic investment. Support your CMO in evaluating and adopting tools that improve automation, personalization, and performance tracking.
4. **Align on Business Objectives**
Ensure that marketing goals are aligned with broader business objectives. When CMOs are included in strategic planning, they can better tailor campaigns to support company-wide growth.
5. **Prioritize Customer-Centricity**
Encourage a customer-first mindset across the organization. When all departments focus on delivering value to the customer, marketing efforts become more effective and authentic.
6. **Recognize the Value of Brand Building**
While performance marketing delivers immediate results, brand building is essential for long-term success. Support your CMO in balancing short-term metrics with long-term brand equity.
7. **Empower and Trust the Marketing Team**
Give your CMO the autonomy to lead and innovate. Trust in their expertise and vision can lead to more creative, impactful campaigns and a stronger market presence.
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### Final Thoughts
The modern CMO wears many hats — strategist, technologist, data analyst, and brand steward. By understanding the multifaceted challenges they face and actively working to support their efforts, you can help unlock the full potential of your marketing organization. In doing so, you not only empower your CMO but also drive greater alignment, innovation, and growth across the entire business.
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